A Series of Fortunate Events
by Lazy Tobi
Summary: Modern P&P fluffy one-shot.  Hot British guy?  Check.  Quirky zoo date?  Check.  Insane coincidences?  Check.  Obstinate girl?  Check.  Oh, aren't we in for a doozy.


**A Series of Fortunate Events  
Rated**: T  
**Disclaimer**: I forgot to sign where the X was on all accounts.** Inspiration**: Touch by Natasha Bedingfield  
**Warning**: Possible OOC-ness… pure fluff, really. 

**- A Series of Fortunate Events -**

Elizabeth Bennett was no stranger to a need for coffee, so she entered a little corner shop, hoping the place sold good coffee. Starbucks was too expensive, and besides that, having recently arrived in New York made her pockets a bit light. It was Elizabeth's first day in New York (the night before didn't count as a day), having recently attained an internship to a big publishing company, and she planned on making her "big entrance" to New York. Her internship started in four days; Elizabeth thought it best she got used to her new surroundings before making a fool of herself and decided to arrive early.

"Hello, what would you like, miss?" The barista asked, smiling pleasantly as Elizabeth approached the counter.

"Mmm… I'd like a chocolate hazelnut coffee, thanks. (1)" Elizabeth smiled warmly back at the slightly older girl before she turned to make Elizabeth's order. After a few minutes, she received the delicious, caffeinated concoction and paid for it, pressing the warm Styrofoam cup to her hands. Though it was the summer, Elizabeth felt the need to cradle the cup as if she needed to warm her hands; it was a force of habit, perhaps, since she generally ordered coffee on cold winter mornings. She sampled the beverage briefly after exiting the quaint little shop, finding it scalding but nonetheless delightful, cradling the cup before her. Elizabeth chewed on her lower lip as she walked, looking for a street sign and not paying attention to her surroundings, wanting to find Charlotte's street fast. Charlotte was the second reason behind Elizabeth's coming to New York; she'd just married Elizabeth's cousin, William (Bill) Collins. Elizabeth found no pleasure in seeing her relative and only came for Charlotte's sake, even if she was just using Bill for his money. It had been nearly two years since Bill's proposal and almost the same amount of time since Elizabeth had contacted Charlotte. She wasn't mad at her friend for using Bill personally, just the using bit. Elizabeth loathed people who used other people, but Charlotte seemed all out of options and Elizabeth, missing her best friend of over a decade, was willing to overlook the using even if she didn't like it.

In her musing, Elizabeth didn't notice the man walking towards her. Now, the whole incident couldn't be pinned on Elizabeth since he was busy fuming on his phone, but she was willing to take the whole blame. The two met in an abrupt way, spilling Elizabeth's barely touched coffee all over the front of the man's suit, causing him to grunt in alarm.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, sir—"

"I'll have to call you back; make sure that he stays put." The man ground out crisply into his phone, deep voice with a British accent doing wonders for Elizabeth's ears. She, like most of the American population, liked foreign accents; this man's voice boasted a British birth and up bringing as it wasn't washed out.

"Bloody hell… watch where you're going!" The man hissed, looking down at his drenched shirt and trousers. Elizabeth flushed, partly because of spilling her drink and partly because she was being given all of the blame.

"You should, too, sir; I do recall you being immersed in your call until now." She retaliated hotly, crossing her arms over her chest, sizing her quarry up. He was tall – about a head taller than Elizabeth – and handsome, she'd give him that. The man looked quite good in a suit (a wave of guilt passed over Elizabeth again, for his suit looked expensive), and sported a pair of nice, gray eyes that were currently a smoldering mercury state under a low fringe of sloppy, wavy cobalt hair. He had sideburns that dwindled into a five o'clock shadow that probably hadn't been looked at since the previous morning; all in all, the man looked like he'd been in a hurry leaving his quarters but still looked gorgeous.

"Bloody… oh bollocks, Rich will find this all funny as hell." With out so much as a departing word, the man hurried back the way he'd come, using British cover-ups for curses. Elizabeth huffed at his boorish ways before making her way down the street, hoping to never see the man again, simultaneously looking for a trash bin in which to deposit her now empty coffee cup.

Virtually twelve hours later, William Darcy sighed, realizing that he could, in fact, attend the party his aunt and Richard had conned him into going if he could afford the time. He held no desire to see the annoying little prick that had been his aunt's maid (oh, the horrors of even imagining that) or his fiancé of two years, but Richard's deft tongue had gotten Darcy's words meddled up until he finally accented into going to see the man. Why he was holding a party instead of a regular bachelor and bachelorette parties was beside Darcy, but he was sure his aunt had something to do with it even though she was still in Los Angeles, California and not New York, New York. The old hag could always get her way with her old maid (Catherine called him a maid, but Darcy was sure he was a physical therapist). Grumbling to himself, Darcy arranged his desk into a nice, orderly fashion and got up and left his office building, rubbing his eyes.

Darcy knew his day wouldn't bode well from the time he woke up (thirty minutes late), and his thoughts had been proven right from the morning occurrence that included an average beauty with gorgeous eyes, coffee, and Darcy's need of a new, clean suit. He'd lost the client that'd been waiting in his lobby for fifteen minutes before the event happened, making Darcy another hour late, and now he had time to attend a party he didn't want to. He could only assume the worst was yet to come, being the pessimist he was, when he arrived at the complex that housed his aunt's old… acquaintance and his party. Darcy hadn't even gone home to change wanting to appear as stiff as he could, and rapped he knuckles loudly against the wood of the door to the apartment. To say he was shocked when the woman from the coffee fiasco opened the door would've been an understatement.

"Um, hello again, sir. Err… come in?" Elizabeth asked, eyeing the man once more. Though his hair looked even more slapdash than earlier and his stubble had darkened some, he still looked ruggedly handsome.

"Darcy." The man grunted, not moving an inch even though Elizabeth moved out of the doorway.

"Hmm?"

"My name, its William Darcy, not 'sir'." Darcy explained himself, looking Elizabeth in the eyes. He found them to be a pleasant hazel color, sparkling with mirth; suddenly, his mouth felt dry. The woman, earlier clad in skinny jeans, flip flops, and a baggy t-shirt, was now clad in a figure-hugging summer dress that was stark white; it brought out her light tan and made her look temptingly innocent. Her hairstyle had also changed from earlier; once, it'd been in a messy ponytail, but now it was in a fancy side bun updo.

"Well, William Darcy, you're in need of a name change. The groom-to-be is also a William; you don't go by Bill, do you? Oh, I'm sorry; I'm Elizabeth Bennett, but you may call me Lizzie." Elizabeth said, closing the door after Darcy. She caught a whiff of him when he'd gone by, and to say he smelled okay would be the best choice. As the full day had blown by, whatever fresh morning scents had faded to being barely there (though Elizabeth doubted he had a chance to put on any scents other than deodorant, as he had looked like he had been in a hurry) and the office smells of powder coffee, paper, ink, and a perfectly male scent had taken charge. It wasn't foul or charming.

"I generally go by Darcy, Will, or Liam, Lizzie." Darcy said, wanting to inhale her scent when he'd passed. She smelled like a sweet flower, and from judging from the little pink flower ornament in her hair, it was most likely the Japanese cherry blossom scent she'd chosen. Lizzie smiled at Darcy as she closed the door behind them, fully encasing the pounding music in the apartment once again, dully wondering how Darcy's low, curt voice could be heard over the loud beat.

"Hmm… Darcy sounds weird without a Mr. in front of it, Will is common but cute, and Liam is just uncommon. How did you get Liam, Liam?" Elizabeth asked, giggling slightly, leading Darcy to the refreshment table. It was in the kitchen, the farthest room from the booming speakers, making it the best room to talk in and not have to shout to be heard.

"My little sister and my cousin teamed up on me and it stuck." Darcy said, shrugging slightly, not telling her that only Richard and Georgie called him Liam. He wasn't even sure why he'd said it in the first place as one of his nicknames; no one else, except Charlie, his best friend, knew about the whole Liam business. Charlie didn't call him Liam, though, favoring Darce, the Darce man, or (the absurd) Darcylicious over it.

"You poor thing." Elizabeth laughed, patting his shoulder in a friendly manner. Darcy shrugged, lulling them into an awkward silence. He was used to silences befalling his conversations, but this was the first time it was an awkward one for Darcy. Elizabeth was comparing the morning Darcy and the now Darcy in her mind, trying to see if he had just been in a bad mood for running late or not. She herself tended to act cross when running late, so she wouldn't blame him for his impolite nature from earlier if that were the case.

"Oh, heeeey, lookie here, Lily's got himself—"

"Lily?"

"Yes, Lily, c'mere, give Ritchie a hug—"

"You tosser, get the bloody—"

"Are you two gay?" Elizabeth asked, biting her lower lip to contain her laughter. A man had just stumbled into the kitchen, carrying a plastic red cup, already wasted and had literally glomped Darcy. Darcy was trying to wrestle the drunkard off of his shoulders, looking vexed but slightly amused; and Elizabeth remembered Darcy's earlier words of a Rich finding his situation hilarious. Rich and Ritchie could be the same person, as they were both names and could go as nicknames for the other.

"Gay? I'm certainly not, but I can't tell for Rich… and he's my bloody cousin." Darcy said, face contorted in disgust. After Elizabeth's question, Richard had immediately let go of his cousin, seemingly less wasted than before, also looking ardently revolted.

"I'm not gay, miss, and why would you question Lily here? 'E picked you up, didn't he?" Rich asked, eyebrows drawing together. Both Elizabeth and Darcy donned a pink color to their cheeks at his frankness.

"I just met—" Elizabeth started, breaking off when she realized this would be a lie. She looked over to Darcy, wondering if she could speak of the coffee episode.

"She's the woman form this morning, Richard." Darcy sighed, running a hand through his hair. It took Richard a moment before he started to guffaw, holding a nearby wall for support.

"Props to you, miss! You made Lily look like he'd pissed himself!" Richard hooted, receiving a slap upside the head courteous of Darcy. Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh sheepishly, remembering the event again. Darcy really had looked like he'd wet his pants, she realized.

"What's with this 'Lily' shit, Richard?" Darcy asked, hoping to divert the attention away from his soiled suit from earlier. He didn't want to remember the embarrassing affair.

"Eh, I'm drunk. Just put on your big boy panties and deal with it." Richard said, waving him off and leaving the kitchen to go back to his dancing. Elizabeth found herself chuckling again after Richard left. He was by no means as handsome as his cousin, but his disposition made up for him not excelling in the look department.

"He seems like a fun guy." She said, after her laughter died out, smiling pleasantly at Darcy. He shrugged, shoving his hands into his trousers pockets.

"Hardly, when you get to know him. Would you… like to dance, perhaps, Lizzie?" Darcy asked, clearing his throat uncomfortably. His mouth felt abruptly dry again once the idea of asking her to dance popped up inside his head.

"Of course, Lily." Darcy visibly twitched when Elizabeth called him the new flower nickname Richard had given him, causing her to laugh once more before he led her out to the living room. From the lack of space and grinding bodies, the pair found themselves pressed rather intimately against each other.

"So, you owe me a coffee." Elizabeth said loudly, wrapping her arms gingerly around Darcy's neck. He cocked his head to the side, stubble and bangs brushing against Elizabeth's arm, looking lost for a second. It took Darcy a minute to decipher what Elizabeth had said (it sounded suspiciously like, "So, aren't you horny?" with the music blasting) before he smirked down at her, equally as cautious as she as he put his hands on her waist.

"Is that your way of asking me out, Miss Bennett?" He asked, feeling a warm fuzzy grow in his chest. Darcy wouldn't say 'no' to taking Elizabeth out on a date… he just had to find a way to con Georgie out of her Saturday with him.

"Perhaps. Is that your way of saying yes?" Elizabeth asked, smiling coyly up at him. She hadn't meant to ask him out, but she wasn't against it. No, Elizabeth was actually growing excited at the prospect of it.

"Well, considering I've got two tickets to the zoo this Saturday, it is. Does eleven sound alright to you?" Darcy asked, smirk turning into a grin. He was sure Georgie, though shy, had at least one friend she could spend Saturday with… or Richard could oblige to babysitting and Darcy could just owe them both one. Darcy didn't think Georgie would be too melancholy once she found out he was going on a date, anyways; the girl was forever pestering him to "grow a pair and get a girl" (shocking words from such a shy, introverted child).

"Suspicious much?" Elizabeth said, pulling away from Darcy a bit. He didn't seem like the guy to try to pick up girls, but one never knew with guys they just met. Hell, he could be a pedophile for all she knew. Zoos were generally not the place men in their mid-to-late twenties went to.

"My sister wanted to visit the zoo this weekend, but she's fallen ill. It'd be such a waste to let those tickets go unused, don't you think?" Darcy lied smoothly, hoping the sick excuse would run. It was Thursday, so it seemed like a 50-50 chance to him. Elizabeth narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Darcy, but she chose to stay silent of her misgivings (especially the pedo one… that always drove men away, surprisingly) and just consent. If Darcy tried to pull one on her or anything, well, Elizabeth had a foot that could easily find its' way up somewhere unpleasant.

"Eleven it is then, Lily." She teased him, smiling innocently when Darcy gave her a reproaching look. The rest of the party was spent talking about books or dancing between the pair; Darcy offered to drive her home, even, but Elizabeth had to decline the offer as she was forced to become one of the three-person clean-up crew after the party was over. After cleaning up Charlotte and Bill's apartment with them and driving home, Elizabeth immediately called her sister Jane even though it was nearly three in the morning. Jane would understand the need once she heard Elizabeth's news.

"Nnnngh, Liz-Biz, you'd better have an excellent reason as to why you're disturbing my beauty sleep." Jane's voice came as a tired, slurred moan over the phone. Elizabeth grinned, her excitement from earlier rushing back.

"Janie, I've got a date Saturday!" She counted the seconds (Elizabeth estimated about five to seven in Jane's sleepy state) before her sister shrieked, already holding her cell away fro her ear in anticipation.

"Ohmygod, Lizzie! Ohmygoooood! This is, what, your first date in… hmm… since Georgie-hole! Is he hot? What's his name? Is he a creeper? Will he be a jackass to you like Georgie-hole? Ohmygod, tell me!" Jane shrieked, making Elizabeth grin wider and bounce slightly on her bed. Her last boyfriend, George Wickham, had been a total douche bag; he'd gone and cheated on Elizabeth with three other girls. She'd taken a while to get over him and it'd been almost a year since their two-year relationship had ended. Jane called him 'Georgie-hole' because she was too sweet to call him 'ass-hole' and opted on calling him something he loathed, Georgie, along with 'hole' at the end.

"He's definitely got the whole tall, dark, and handsome package patented. His name is William Darcy, and—"

"No way, _the_ William Darcy?" Jane interrupted Elizabeth, her astonishment evident in her voice. Elizabeth frowned slightly, wondering why Darcy would be known by her sister who was safely tucked away in Austin, Texas with their family for the summer.

"Um… maybe? He's an attorney… erm, messy black hair, gray eyes, over six feet tall…"

"Elizabeth Bennett. Don't you ever let that man go. You just snagged the most eligible bachelor in business that's 30 and under, according to _People_ magazine. Oooooo, we'll have to double-date sometime, I can check Will out and you can see how amazing Charlie is. I think it's a sign they're best friends and we snagged 'em both." Jane gushed, voice getting a high-pitched squeal much like their mother's did. Elizabeth dropped her cell phone in shock, remembering reading an article about a William Darcy. It had provided no picture of the man in question, but he was apparently one of the most apathetic businessmen ever seen other than when he was at court. At court, he was an excellent actor, charming most everyone in the room and usually getting his client to get away scot-free. Elizabeth, had she not seen Darcy in the morning when he was stiff, would have never believed the man from the article to be the same as the man she spent her night with at Charlotte and Bill's party.

"Sorry, Jane, I remembered an article I read on him and couldn't believe it. I feel really out of it now, for not recognizing the name. There aren't many British lawyers with Darcy as their last name. Wow. Um, Charlie? Charles Bingley, as in his firm partner?" Elizabeth said, after a few minutes, picking her phone back up. She'd have to question Darcy on Saturday.

"Yes, that's my Charlie. He's down in Austen this summer visiting that property we thought would never be bought – you know, that old Netherfield ranch? Anyways, he's looking into it since he might be moving to the firm down here… he came in Baskin Robin's literally five minutes before my shift ended. I say this is fate, a sign!" Jane cooed, and Elizabeth could hear the soft thumping of her sister eagerly kicking her mattress. It made the younger girl's grin grow even wider.

"Oh, wow, Jane! I read about Charlie, too, in that article. He sounds so adorable! You might have me believing in fate now, ha ha." Elizabeth laughed giddily, remembering the mentioned redhead. They would have to double date soon, if the chance ever occurred. The two eldest Bennett sisters continued to converse for another hour about their dates (Jane promised not to tell their mother of Elizabeth's date, just in case nothing came out of it) before Jane had to go back to sleep. Her date was Friday night, and she didn't want bags under her eyes on her first date with Charlie Bingley. Unbeknownst to the girls, Charlie had called Darcy in the night as well, their conversation revolving around the up-coming dates, too; they were surprised to find out their dates were related. Charlie, like Jane, also found this as a sign; Darcy didn't see it as anything but a mere coincidence.

Friday passed Elizabeth and Darcy in a blur; both received updates from their respective friend or sister on how the first date in Texas went (amazingly, apparently) not two minutes after Charlie and Jane had went their separate ways. Saturday dawned for Elizabeth in a slight panic, as she hadn't dated in a while, and she wondered what one wore for a zoo date. Now that she knew what Darcy was, well, she wondered if she should dress casual or not. Eventually, she decided on a pale blue spaghetti-strap shirt that looked like a mini dress, dark blue denim capris, and white wedge sandals. Elizabeth didn't pt on any make-up (she barely knew how to apply mascara let alone something more), but she did put on some of her favorite Japanese cherry blossom perfume. Darcy arrived at eleven on the dot, looking less of a mess than he had Thursday. His hair, though still a bit slapdash, was tamer than before, and he was cleanly shaven. Darcy wore a white polo shirt along with faded blue jeans and a pair of black trainers; he also smelled like Old Spice cologne and deodorant, and aftershave (a big improvement from Thursday).

"Ready for the zoo, Lizzie?" Darcy asked, with a hint of a smile, offering his arm out. Elizabeth laughed lightly, taking it and letting him lead her down the stairs of her apartment complex and out to his car. She expected something expensive and shiny, but all she got was the shiny bit: Darcy had a shimmering black Chevrolet Cobalt.

"Echo friendly, are we?" Elizabeth joked when Darcy slid into the driver's seat after opening the passenger door for her and closing it after she'd been seated.

"Have a problem with that, Lizzie?" Darcy asked, sounding a bit defensive as he started up his car. Elizabeth shook her head quickly, assuring him she had no problem with being a tree-hugger. The rest of the ride to the zoo was quiet, except for the sounds of New York, as Elizabeth had rolled down her window. Finding a parking space was extremely difficult, and they had to park out in the nosebleed section of the lot. Elizabeth glanced frequently at Darcy when they walked to the zoo's front gates, knowing he was staring at her the whole time. It was slightly flattering and unnerving at the same time since his gaze was so intense.

"How's your sister?" Elizabeth asked when they got into the line to be admitted into the zoo. She was sure if having an ill sister were a cover-up for picking her up, Darcy wouldn't remember or have a very solid story; George Wickham never did. If Darcy took a while to reply or had a cheesy story, she'd assume he was the type to pick up girls just like her ex. Elizabeth knew she didn't want to be in another George Wickham relationship, even if it was with William Darcy.

"She was running a slight fever this morning still, so I have Richard sitting with her. They're probably camped out on my couch with my two cats – well, one was originally Georgie's, but her college dorms don't allow pets – and a bowl of popcorn each, watching chick flicks." Darcy replied smoothly, smiling slightly. He was glad Elizabeth even remembered his sister was "sick". Though Georgie wasn't actually running a fever, she and Richard were probably doing exactly as he said. Georgie was fond of chick flicks, something Darcy was not, so Richard watched them with her whenever he came over to babysit slash watch over her since he rather enjoyed them.

"Tell her I hope she gets to feeling better, would you? Even though I've never met her and all…" Elizabeth said, smiling faintly as they moved forward in the line slowly. Darcy hadn't replied too slowly; rather, he replied almost too quickly for Elizabeth's tastes. She didn't doubt he had a sister now, but she was pretty sure Georgie Darcy was not, in fact, running a fever of any kind. Elizabeth made a mental note to thank the girl if they ever met.

"That I will, after she and Richard are done grilling me." Darcy said, smiling softly as Elizabeth started chortling. He knew both his sister and cousin would make sure Elizabeth was "good enough for him" and "treated him right" if he kept her for more than one date; Darcy was pretty sure he'd be asking Elizabeth to spend another couple of hours with him later the next week. Just her smile and laugh made him want to join in and had a warm fuzzy growing in his chest. Except for Georgie, when the feelings were totally brotherly, no one had ever made a warm fuzzy grow in Darcy's chest.

"Where to, Miss Elizabeth?" Darcy joked, holding his arm out, after they were allowed into the Central Park Zoo. Elizabeth grinned, shaking her head, taking his hand instead of his arm.

"To the penguins, of course! I must see Skipper and the gang and if they're digging an underground tunnel to Antarctica! Silly Lily." She teased, dragging Darcy down the path that led them to the infamous penguins. When they arrived, Elizabeth gave an excited titter, rushing up to the fence keeping her out of the penguin's habitat.

"Cute and cuddly, boys, cute and cuddly!" She called to the birds, receiving odd looks form the other people visiting the birds in "tuxes". Darcy couldn't help but smile softly at her, knowing she and Georgie would get along just fine.

"Lizzie, I'm sure this isn't like the movie." He said, observing her. Elizabeth just shrugged, now acutely aware of how close he was standing behind and a little to the right of her. Had Darcy not spoken, she would have found out where he was by the occasional brush of his hand on the back of her thigh; she was pretty sure the touches were accidental since his presence immediately moved backwards but eventually came back, slowly. After watching the penguins for a good five minutes to make sure Skipper and Kowalski weren't below deck digging a tunnel, Elizabeth turned back to Darcy, almost running into his chest. She leaned back against the railing and Darcy immediately backed up a few inches, shoving his hands awkwardly into his pockets.

"Like the movie it may not be, but I shall find all of them! It's on my bucket list, see, to one day come and see the Central Park Zoo and visit all the Madagascar animals. Now, if by chance, I was on a date when scratching this off my bucket list and happened to act like a child, it wouldn't stop me." Elizabeth said, giving Darcy a challenging stare, daring him to ask her to behave more like an adult. He just smiled back at the stare, melting it away.

"Of course not. This is also on Georgie's bucket list, and I'm sure I'd be spending today the same way if she was here and not you. Oh bollocks, that was phrased poorly… er, I don't mean I see you as my sister or like one… I mean… oh, bloody hell, I shouldn't have commented any farther that of course not…" Darcy mumbled the last bit, looking away crossly. When not in court, he was not very good with words, especially now that Elizabeth Bennett was here fogging up his mind. Elizabeth laughed softly, pulling his left hand out of his pockets, dragging him down a random walkway. She knew everyone held hands, but did millionaires hold hands with their date at the zoo that was acting like a child? As if reading her thoughts, Darcy gave Elizabeth's hand a squeeze, sending the butterflies in her stomach to fly at lower altitudes.

"I think we'll see Melman first, then Gloria, then Alex, and Marty, and finally Mason and Phil…" Elizabeth said, in true rambling form, glancing over her shoulder at Darcy. He didn't seem the type to care too much about seeing certain animals, so she was sure he wouldn't mind her dragging him around for a bit so she could check the box on her bucket list next to, "Visit Central Park Zoo and say, 'Hi,' to all the animals from Madagascar in it."

"That's excellent and all, but when would you like to have lunch? It's just past noon already. Not that I'm hungry, I'm not, but I was just… you know…" Darcy trailed off, once again cursing his mouth. He had to always go on and try to explain himself, didn't he? God, he was such a fool. Elizabeth smiled at him, showing off her dimple and making the warm fuzzy in Darcy's chest grow, shaking her head.

"Well, I'm not hungry yet, either, so why don't we wait until we are?" She asked, inwardly 'aww'ing at how adorable Darcy was. Elizabeth found is gauche nature in public endearing since he was actually making an effort.

"Sure." Darcy smiled down at her, sending the butterflies right back up where they had been before he'd squeezed her hand. Elizabeth was sure she would fall in love with his smile before the day was done. They ended up seeing the rest of the Madagascar cast before heading to the center of the park for lunch around one thirty in the afternoon. Darcy wouldn't let Elizabeth pay for her half of the pizza, salad, or drink, saying it'd be very uncouth if he did; Elizabeth was left to snag a vacant table for two nearby, as the eating area was filling up with hungry families and teens. After he'd paid and gotten the receipt with their number, Darcy walked back with his water and Elizabeth's original Coca-Cola.

"So, a big guy like you eats a salad and drinks water? What, are you trying to watch your weight and keep a slim figure?" Elizabeth cajoled after taking her drink with a, "Thank you," eyeing Darcy's torso over the table. He wasn't the triangular shape of a body-builder or what most men went for now-a-days, but he wasn't a stick, either, making her wonder what lay beneath his admittedly slightly tight shirt. Wit that though running in her head, Elizabeth immediately turned red and looked away from her date. Darcy smirked at her, loving at how cute she looked all flustered.

"So you generally tease a man on his size, Lizzie? I didn't peg you for the type to go after bodies alone." He said teasingly, unscrewing the cap to his water bottle and raising it to his lips. Darcy wouldn't have if he'd known Elizabeth's reaction to his words.

"No, I don—you, you-!" She turned even redder, kicking him under the table. Finding what she found so scandalous in his (again) poorly phrased sentence, Darcy started laughing. Elizabeth got to laugh at Darcy when water shot out of his nose.

"Number fifty six!" The kid running the eatery called, a pizza box and two salad boxes in hand.

"I'll get the food and you get the napkins and such." Elizabeth chuckled, unable to help the grin on her face as Darcy, slightly pink, wiped his nose sullenly. Doing as she said, he got the napkins and plastic silverware, careful to dry his nose before he went back to the table. Lunch passed by quickly for the pair, Elizabeth teasing Darcy for the majority of it.

"So, I've been dragging you around all morning, now it's your turn, Lily. What do you want to see?" She asked as they threw out their trash. Darcy shrugged, looking around the signs pointing this way and that for the animals. He pointed at the one bearing the word, "Elephant," since it was the closest. A short walk later, they were staring up at the giant African animal in awe.

"I love their floppy ears, and the babies are so cute." Elizabeth said, grinning brightly, leaning on the railing once more. She really loved animals in general from having grown up on a ranch. Darcy tentatively reached out and took Elizabeth's in his own, intertwining their fingers; he was rewarded by her dazzling smile.

"You're cute." The words had exited Darcy's lips before he realized he'd even said them, causing him to blush slightly.

"I mean, you… not like the elephants… you're pretty… oh bollocks, not again…" Elizabeth started laughing as Darcy tried, and failed spectacularly, at trying to explain himself once more.

"I get it, Lily. I think you're cute, too." She said, making him freeze when she boldly planted a kiss on his cheek. Elizabeth immediately turned back to the elephants after that, hoping she hadn't gone too far. After a few minutes of watching the baby elephant, she turned and asked Darcy what was next. He didn't respond, still wearing the same shocked expression from when Elizabeth had kissed him. Laughing, she tugged at his arm until he returned to earth, apologizing profusely.

"No biggie, Lily. I asked where to next." Elizabeth asked, giggling softly, as Darcy shrugged again. He didn't particularly know what he'd like to see in a zoo, not one for visiting them often, and decided to take her to the seal show. Last time he'd been to a zoo, Georgie had laughed until she cried when she saw the seal show; Darcy loved Elizabeth's laugh and smile, so he selfishly wanted to see more of it.

"Seal show." He said, letting Elizabeth lead the way to a directory to find out where the seals were. She swung their clasped hands between them happily, causing Darcy to realize she was becoming comfortable around him. He was sure someone, over the coarse of Friday, had told her how big his name was and had made her nervous since the bold, sassy Elizabeth was shyly poking her head instead of going around normally.

"It's near the front, Lily." Elizabeth said, after finding a directory, smiling over her shoulder at Darcy.

"Why do you keep on calling me Lily and not Liam or something? Richard was drunk off his arse when he called me that Thursday." He asked, curious. Darcy didn't quite mind Elizabeth calling him Lily, but his manly pride was bashed every time another guy overheard her calling him that and gave him a strange look.

"Because, _Lily_, I like the idea of only me calling you that silly pet name." Elizabeth taunted, smiling and sticking her tongue out at Darcy over her shoulder. He was very sorely tempted to tell her to put her tongue away before he put it to better use, but Darcy was pretty sure that was exceptionally forward for a first date. Darcy didn't want to seem like the guy that wanted _it_ on the first date then ran.

"Then may I call you something, like Eddie?" He asked, looking away from her very tempting mouth. Darcy was suddenly struck with the thought of what Elizabeth's lips would feel like on his own and needed to look away before he acted rashly. When he looked away, he saw an ice cream vendor and smiled slightly.

"You may, Lily." Elizabeth laughed, not noticing Darcy's light blush nor the ice cream stand since they were near the seal's habitat. They arrived just as a zoo worker said there was five minutes until the next show.

"Are you a vanilla or chocolate type of girl?" Darcy asked, thanking his lucky stars that they'd just made the show. He really wanted to see Elizabeth smile and laugh more.

"Mmmm, vanilla, why?" Elizabeth asked, turning to him questioningly. Darcy gave her the 'one minute' sign before detangling their fingers and walking off; she had to chuckle and shake her head. Darcy had been way too obvious that time. Elizabeth's suspicions were confirmed when he returned just as the show was starting, bearing two ice cream cones.

"Thank you, Lily."

"It's my pleasure, Eddie."

The pair of little kids before them turned around and gave the couple a strange look before twisted back to watch the seals, thinking of ways they could con their parents into getting them ice cream after the show was over.

After the seal show, Darcy took Elizabeth to the reptile house where she surprised him b finding the snakes fascinating. He'd only ever known women to be scared of snakes, but, seeing as he only counted four women in that category (Caroline Bingley, Louisa Hurst, Georgie, and her nanny, Mrs. Reynolds), Darcy's shock faded away at his own ignorance. Elizabeth, tired of Darcy's indifference at what animal they'd see, led him to see the tigers, bears, and wolves once hey were done seeing the reptiles. Seeing the tigers sent them off into a debate over which big cat was better: the tiger or the lion. Darcy leaned more towards the king of the jungle while Elizabeth favored the striped feline. When they were in the exotic fish house, Elizabeth checked the time and cursed.

"I'm sorry, Lily, but I've—"

"Got to go?" Darcy interrupted her, smiling wryly. Elizabeth nodded forlornly, giving his hand a squeeze.

"I've got a girl's night out with Charlotte and Maria, her little sister, that starts at six and it's almost five. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cut this date short…" She said, frowning as Darcy led her out of the fish house and back towards the entrance to the zoo. If she could reschedule her girl's night out, she would. Elizabeth found herself wishing to spend the rest of the day with Darcy, and he felt the same but hid his disappointment.

"It's quite alright, Eddie. We didn't really set up an ending time, so it's not your fault or anything. Should I take you back to your apartment or Charlotte's?" Darcy asked as they approached the exit. He was sure the zoo closed at five thirty, anyways.

"Um, Charlotte's please, if you remember." Elizabeth replied, looking back at the zoo after they'd passed through the gates again. She was going to miss the zoo, but she was also happy something had been crossed off her bucket list in such a fun way. Elizabeth couldn't imagine, now, spending a day at a zoo, whichever zoo, any other way.

"Yes, I remember." Darcy said, lapsing them into a comfortable silence. The car ride to Charlotte's apartment was devoid of conversation again, but the silence was filled by the radio playing softly. The other difference between the ride to the zoo and coming back from it was Darcy drove single-handedly; he didn't want to let go of Elizabeth's hand. She found it extremely endearing how he never seemed to want to let go and pouted slightly when he had to (she was sure he didn't even know he did so).

"Thanks for the ride here and the date. I had a great time, really, Lily." Elizabeth said, turning to Darcy when he parked his car in the parking lot for Charlotte's complex.

"No, I should thank you, Eddie. Besides, there isn't reason for saying goodbye now. I'm walking you to Charlotte's door, just in case some crazy American decides to jump you." Darcy said, smiling widely at her. She just laughed, rolling her eyes.

"As opposed to you, a crazy Britt? And there's no reason to—"

"There's all the reason to. Please, just let me. A gent always walks a lady up to the door, even if it's not her own." Darcy interrupted her, unbuckling his seatbelt. They had a small disagreement, but Elizabeth eventually caved, letting Darcy walk her up the four flights of stairs to Charlotte's apartment.

"Now, I'm sure, even though your name is Lily, that the girls won't let you join our girl's night out." She teased, swinging their intertwined hands. Darcy smirked, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, ha ha, very funny, Eddie. Might I have the honor of your company for a movie and dinner Tuesday night?" He asked, intense gaze back on Elizabeth's eyes. She blushed slightly, smiling softly; Darcy was struck upside the head of how he wanted to kiss her again.

"You may, Lily." Elizabeth said, freezing afterwards. Darcy was already going down the stairs again before she could comprehend what had happened; he'd bent down and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips before departing. Unconsciously, Elizabeth raised her hand, warmed from his, to her lips in something close to wonder.

"Ohmygod, Lizzie!" It was then she noticed the mail slot was open and a pair of chocolate eyes were staring up at her.

"Spill the beans! We didn't know you had a date with Will Darcy!" Charlotte's voice came from just below the peephole in the door. A small scuffle later, Maria and Charlotte dragged a stupefied Elizabeth into the apartment, bursting with questions for her.

**A/N**: _(1) I don't drink coffee, personally, and I've no idea if that's something you can find in every coffee shop. If it's not, I claim… uh… creative liberties or something. :P And I /did/ have to put Darcylicious in there – it's fast becoming my favorite word ever since I heard Mathew Macfadyen being called that (he makes an excellent Darcy, in my opinion). Just say 'Darcylicious' out loud, lol. XD_

_I'm sorry if anyone found them OOC… I was just thinking, Darcy isn't socially retarded when he's in Pemberly… what if he wasn't when he first met Elizabeth? This isn't my original date for them, either, since my computer turned into a hoe bag and didn't save it and died right after I'd finished it. 'Tis my first P&P FF, and it's certainly not my last. I'm planning on doing a modern version of P&P (how original, lol) soon… as soon as I'm done with my nearly finished Naruto/HP x-over, actually. Sorry for the long A/N._

_~ Tobi_


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